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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · stand · mark · wake · tube · racket · row · craft

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — boats
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. row — a line
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wake — a trail

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com